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¹ My brethren, hold ye not the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, with a respect to persons.² For if there come into your assembly a man with rings of gold or splendid garments, and there come in a poor man in sordid garments;³ and ye show respect to him who is clothed in splendid garments, and say to him, Seat thyself here, conspicuously; while to the poor man, ye say, Stand thou there, or sit thou here before my footstool;⁴ are ye not divided among yourselves, and become expositors of evil thoughts?⁵ Hear, my beloved brethren; hath not God chosen the poor of the world, but the rich in faith, to be heirs in the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him?⁶ But ye have despised the poor man. Do not rich men exalt themselves over you, and drag you before the tribunals?⁷ Do they not revile that worthy name, which is invoked upon you?

⁸ And if in this ye fulfill the law of God, as it is written, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye will do well:⁹ but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin; and ye are convicted by the law, as transgressors of the law.¹⁰ For he that shall keep the whole law, and yet fail in one [fn] , is obnoxious to the whole law. ¹¹ For he who said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill. If then thou commit no adultery, but thou killest, thou hast become a transgressor of the law.¹² So speak ye, and so act, as persons that are to be judged by the law of liberty.¹³ For judgment without mercy shall be on him, who hath practised no mercy: by mercy, ye will be raised above judgment.

¹⁴ What is the use, my brethren, if a man say, I have faith; and he hath no works? can his faith vivify him?¹⁵ Or if a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,¹⁶ and one of you say to them, Go in peace, warm yourselves, and be full; and ye give them not the necessaries of the body, what is the use?¹⁷ So also faith alone, without works, is dead.¹⁸ For a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; show to me thy faith that is without works; and I will show to thee, my faith by my works.¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God; thou dost well; the demons also believe, and tremble.²⁰ Wouldst thou know, O frail man, that faith without works is dead?²¹ Abraham our father, was not he justified by works, in offering his son Isaac upon the altar?²² Seest thou, that his faith aided his works; and that by the works his faith was rendered complete?²³ And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith: Abraham believed in God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, and he was called the Friend of God.²⁴ Thou seest, that by works a man is justified, and not by faith alone.²⁵ So also Rahab, the harlot, was not she justified by works, when she entertained the spies, and sent them forth by another way?²⁶ As the body without the spirit, is dead; so faith without works, is dead also.